Huawei leak suggests a Garmin-rivalling 'pro-level' sports watch is on the way

Huawei has never been shy about going after the big players in the wearables space, but it’s also been a bit, let's say, inconsistent about how hard it commits to specific categories.

A few years back, for example, it tried to take on Garmin more directly with the Watch GT Runner, a lighter, running-focused off-shoot of its more popular GT line, which leaned more into the coaching side of things. It was a decent first attempt, but it didn’t quite have what it takes to lure dedicated runners away from the likes of Garmin and Polar.

Since then, Huawei’s wearables have mostly gone in other directions, focusing on more general smartwatches, health-first devices like the Watch D line, and more rugged, outdoorsy models such as the Watch Ultimate.

Now, though, a new leak suggests Huawei might be sharpening its elbows again, ready for a fight with Garmin, because something described as a “professional sports watch” is reportedly in the works - and it sounds more serious than your bog-standard, all-rounder watch.

The deets so far

The fresh rumours arrive via Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, who claims Huawei has a sports-focused wearable in the pipeline currently nicknamed “Racing Legend” - although the leaked image itself actually references a “Track Legend” trademark, which Huawei reportedly registered some time ago.

In other words, the naming still feels a bit lost in translation, but the core detail seems to be that it's a new watch codenamed Chitu, and it’s being positioned as a professional sports watch.

We also get some early detail on looks. The leak lists four colour options: Track Legend (which sounds like a special edition or headline colourway), plus Ray Shadow Black, Dawn Orange and Chi Guang Blue. That last one is likely just Huawei being pretentious about the colour blue, but it does suggest the usual sporty palette you see on performance watches.

Straps are another big talking point here. The leak claims there will be 22 strap variants, with 16mm and 22mm strap sizes mentioned, too.

The name “Racing Legend” has also been floating around in earlier reporting, so it’s possible this is just a translation mishap or internal naming. Either way, a proper pro sports watch from Huawei is exactly the sort of thing that would be aimed straight at Garmin’s dominance in the world of running watches.

For now, this is still firmly leak territory. But the fact it’s showing up with a trademarked name, colourways and strap options suggests Huawei’s edging ever closer to making it a reality.